Aftermath
by enchanted-nova
Summary: Daryl tries to calm and soothe Carol after the loss of her daughter, Sophia.


_A just a one-shot for Daryl and Carol after the loss of Sophia. Leave feedback._

_-Nova_

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><p><strong>Aftermath<strong>

**-oOo-**

_"We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey." _

_-Kenji Miyazawa_

**-oOo-**

His hands were rough, but they were strong as he held her. Those silver tears pouring down her cheeks dripped onto the dirt ground and his calloused hands. He tried to calm her sobs with a few kind words, but it was not enough for her. Just ten feet away from where she was trembling on the ground laid her darling daughter, the last peace of hope she had left. Without her child, she almost had no reason to continue living in this godforsaken land.

The moment was still, no one could speak, it was almost impossible to breathe. He was both a monster and a saint. His hands were trembling slightly as he looked at the young girl that had fallen in a bloody pile of the dead. When he looked over to the weeping woman and the rugged man holding her, a wave of anger and frustration tore through him. Turning on his black boots, Shane Walsh laid dark, cold eyes on Herschel.

The old man was also in tears, on his knees, in the dirt. He looked at the dead, but they were more than that. Those people that had just been massacred on his home were his family and friends. His daughter, Maggie, held tightly to his shoulders sobbing softly at the viscous blood bath before their old wooden barn. Sniffling a bit, Maggie wiped away her tears and urged her father to stand on his feet, but he just shook his head. Taking in a breath, Maggie grabbed under his arms and tugged him onto his feet. He was shaky, like a newborn horse trying to stand for the first time. Biting her lip, Maggie gently stroked his back and lead him away.

"What have you done?" Rick asked in a raspy voice. His eyes were fixed on Shane, who just five minutes ago had snapped and killed everyone Herschel had ever loved or know. Before it was so easy to kill the walkers, but when Sophia walked out that all changed. Rick's eyes gazed at the little girl, who laid on the floor in blood stained clothing and a large gaping hole on the back of her neck. He kneeled down on the ground and rested one arm on his knee. Taking in a breath, he let out a few quiet sobs.

"Sophia...my Sophia..." Carol, the child' mother, whimpered and cried. Her head hung low between her shoulders. Daryl quietly shushed her and slowly moved away from the crying woman. He gently rubbed small, comforting circles into her back, but it barely helped the pain and sadness that overtook everyone.

It was a wave of guilt that came over them. They killed them so casually and now after seeing a child they had all known and cared for become a walker and was shot down, it was surreal. Daryl stood onto his feet and looked at the little girl, he almost broke down himself. They always said they would find little Sophia, but they never imagined it would be like this. All that time and she'd been just a few feet away. Covering his face with his hands, Daryl pushed the emotions away and shook his head before looking at the unnerved group.

"I hope your happy," Daryl said, looking at Shane. The man turned quickly and glared at the rugged redneck, who was picking up the shotgun he had dropped beside Carol. He stood next to her and shook his head, glaring at Shane in distaste. Daryl never really cared for Shane, he knew that Shane was the type of person that would do anything to protect his own behind, but never the one to protect another if it meant he'd survive. "If walkers are so damn dangerous, why'd you fuckin' turn tail when Sophia came out of the barn!" Daryl was enraged.

"Enough!" Rick shouted, standing to his feet. His looked at Daryl and gestured for him to stay calm and back off. "It's over now. We have to leave now, we can't stay not after this."

"What are you talking about man! They knew she was in there!" Shane protested in anger, pointing to Herschel and his people as they were going back to the house. Rick scoffed and shook his head in disbelief, Shane would do anything to justify the wrongs he had committed and it was sickening.

"Herschel and his people aren't like that and we have just committed the most horrible crime on his land! These were his people! These were his family and friends! Dangerous or not, they were still living to him!" Rick roared, clenching his fist and getting in Shane's face. The veins in his neck were bulging, his skin was turning a deep red, and his eyes were wide and stabbing Shane with hate and disbelief.

Herschel's farm could have been their home, their safe haven, but now they had just lost the chance. Rick looked over at Carl and his wife who were on the ground still weeping over Sophia. His eyes then went to Carol, who laid on the ground wishing for her daughter to come back. Daryl knelt down beside her and tried to calm her once again, but she only cried harder. T-Dog and Dale were behind them blank looks on their faces, it was obvious they didn't know what to think, especially Dale. Glenn had ran after Maggie and her family, but Andrea stood beside Shane. Even she knew what they had done was wrong, but they had to kill them in order to protect everyone.

"We leave tomorrow at dawn." Rick walked away, heading up to the farm house. He knew he owed Herschel and apology and would beg for his forgiveness. They would leave no matter what, but Rick couldn't leave without knowing he was forgiven by the man and his family who saved his son's life, provided food and shelter, and even saved Daryl.

Soon everyone began to leave the bloody scene in front of the barn, with the exception of Andrea, Daryl, and Carol. They all stayed behind, mostly because Carol couldn't bring herself to leave. The redneck looked up at the blonde, who slowly came over and fell to her knees in front of Carol.

"I'm so sorry, Carol," she whispered, but Carol didn't look at her all she did was stare at the ground and sob. Daryl closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose, this had been a complete disaster. This was not the way anyone wanted to find Sophia. It was a long shot for her to even survive, but Daryl had hoped she would make it. "I know how it feels, but it's going to be okay."

"Andrea...please...just go," Carol breathed, sobbing a few more times. The blonde licked her lips and turned to Daryl. He nodded once and she smiled weakly before standing on her feet. She said one more apology and slowly backed away, leaving only Daryl with the sad woman. "Daryl...my baby...she's gone." Carol lifted her head and looked at him with puffy red eyes and a tear stained cheeks. He nodded stiffly telling her he knew, but all Carol did was cry. She threw her arms around him and sobbed into his strong shoulder.

"It's okay, it's okay," he whispered to her as he hesitantly put his arms around her in comfort. Carol managed to calm down a little bit, enough to pull away and look at his face. She put her hands on his cheeks and looked into his soft blue eyes, never once noticing that behind all his anger and frustration there was a man trying to do all the right he could. In his eyes she saw a strength that no one else had, in his eyes she saw love and hope, but he never let any of it show.

"I can't do this without her," Carol sniffled, letting her tears fall freely. Daryl frowned and pulled his face out of her hands and wiped away her tears with his rough thumbs. "I...I can't."

"Yes you can," Daryl told her strongly, moving his hands away from her face. He stood up and held his hand out to her. She took his hands and he pulled her up onto her feet gently. Giving her hands a gentle squeeze he nodded his head and glanced at the young girl. "Let her be the reason you keep goin'."

Carol looked at Daryl slightly astounded by his words. He let go of her hands and smiled weakly as he looked at the little girl, he didn't see a walker there, he saw young girl with wavy blonde hair and a smile that lit up the world.


End file.
